English
“Excellent, good Gotama! Excellent, good Gotama! … May the good Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has taken refuge for life from today onwards.” The Esukārī Sutta, the sixth, is finished. 7. The Dhanañjāni Sutta 445. Thus have I heard: At one time the Blessed One was staying in Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, at the Squirrels’ Feeding Place. Now at that time, Venerable Sāriputta was wandering in Dakkhiṇāgiri with a large community of bhikkhus. Then a certain bhikkhu, having completed the rains retreat in Rājagaha, approached Venerable Sāriputta in Dakkhiṇāgiri. Having approached, he exchanged greetings with Venerable Sāriputta. Having concluded the courteous and memorable talk, he sat down to one side. To that bhikkhu sitting to one side, Venerable Sāriputta said: “I hope, friend, the Blessed One is well and strong?” “The Blessed One, friend, is well and strong.” “I hope, friend, the community of bhikkhus is well and strong?” “The community of bhikkhus, friend, is also well and strong.” “Here, friend, at Taṇḍulapāli Gate, there is a brahmin named Dhanañjāni. I hope, friend, the brahmin Dhanañjāni Is he healthy and strong? Indeed, friend, the brahmin Dhanañjāni is healthy and strong. But is the brahmin Dhanañjāni heedful, friend? How can the brahmin Dhanañjāni be heedful, friend? The brahmin Dhanañjāni, friend, relies on the king and robs brahmin householders; he relies on brahmin householders and robs the king. His wife, who was faithful, brought from a faithful family, has also passed away; another wife, unfaithful, brought from an unfaithful family, has been taken. Alas, friend, we have heard ill, alas, friend, we have heard ill; we who heard the brahmin Dhanañjāni was heedless. Perhaps we might sometime, somehow, meet with the brahmin Dhanañjāni, perhaps there might be some conversation. Then, having stayed in Dakkhiṇāgiri as long as he wished, Venerable Sāriputta set out on a journey towards Rājagaha. Journeying by stages, he arrived at Rājagaha. There, Venerable Sāriputta stayed in Rājagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, at the Squirrels' Feeding Place. Then, Venerable Sāriputta, having dressed in the morning, and taking his bowl and robe, entered Rājagaha for alms. Now, at that time, the brahmin Dhanañjāni was having cows milked in the cow pen outside the city. Then, Venerable Sāriputta, having wandered for alms in Rājagaha, and having returned from his alms round after his meal, approached the brahmin Dhanañjāni. The brahmin Dhanañjāni saw Venerable Sāriputta approaching from afar. Having seen him, he approached Venerable Sāriputta; having approached, he said to Venerable Sāriputta: "Here, good Sāriputta, is milk; drink it now, the time for the meal will come." "Enough, brahmin. My meal is done for today. My day-rest will be at such-and-such a tree root. You may come there." "Yes, good sir," the brahmin Dhanañjāni replied to Venerable Sāriputta. He agreed to that. Then the brahmin Dhanañjāni, after his meal, having eaten his breakfast, went to where the venerable Sāriputta was. Having approached, he exchanged greetings with the venerable Sāriputta. Having concluded the courteous and memorable talk, he sat down to one side. To the brahmin Dhanañjāni, as he sat to one side, the venerable Sāriputta said this: "Are you heedful, Dhanañjāni?" "How can we be heedful, venerable Sāriputta? For whom parents must be supported, wife and children must be supported, slaves and workers must be supported, duties to friends and associates must be done, duties to relatives and kinsmen must be done, duties to guests must be done, duties to departed ancestors must be done, duties to deities must be done, duties to the king must be done, and this very body must be nourished and sustained?" 447. "What do you think, Dhanañjāni? Suppose someone, for the sake of his parents, lives unrighteously, lives unevenly. Because of that unrighteous and uneven living, the guardians of hell drag him to hell. Would he then obtain [release by saying], 'I lived unrighteously, lived unevenly, for the sake of my parents; do not drag me to hell, guardians of hell'? Or would his parents obtain [release for him by saying], 'He lived unrighteously, lived unevenly, for our sake; do not drag him to hell, guardians of hell'?" "No, venerable Sāriputta. Rather, the guardians of hell would cast him into hell, even as he cries out." "What do you think, Dhanañjāni? Suppose someone, for the sake of his wife and children, lives unrighteously, lives unevenly. Because of that unrighteous and uneven living, the guardians of hell drag him to hell. Would he then obtain [release by saying], 'I lived unrighteously, lived unevenly, for the sake of my wife and children; do not drag me to hell, guardians of hell'? Or would his wife and children obtain [release for him by saying], 'He lived unrighteously, lived unevenly, for our sake; do not drag him to hell, guardians of hell'?" "No, Venerable Sāriputta, Then, even as he cries out, the hell-wardens would cast him into hell. What do you think, Dhanañjāni? Suppose someone, for the sake of slaves, workers, or servants, were to act unrighteously, unevenly. Because of that unrighteous, uneven conduct, the hell-wardens would drag him to hell. Would he then be able to say, 'I acted unrighteously, unevenly, for the sake of slaves, workers, or servants, do not drag me to hell, hell-wardens'? Or would his slaves, workers, or servants be able to say, 'He acted unrighteously, unevenly for our sake, do not drag him to hell, hell-wardens'? No, venerable Sāriputta. Then, even as he cries out, the hell-wardens would cast him into hell. What do you think, Dhanañjāni? Suppose someone, for the sake of friends or acquaintances, were to act unrighteously, unevenly. Because of that unrighteous, uneven conduct, the hell-wardens would drag him to hell. Would he then be able to say, 'I acted unrighteously, unevenly, for the sake of friends or acquaintances, do not drag me to hell, hell-wardens'? Or would his friends or acquaintances be able to say, 'He acted unrighteously, unevenly for our sake, do not drag him to hell, hell-wardens'? No, venerable Sāriputta. Then, even as he cries out, the hell-wardens would cast him into hell. What do you think, Dhanañjāni? Suppose someone, for the sake of relatives or blood-relations, were to act unrighteously, unevenly. Because of that unrighteous, uneven conduct, the hell-wardens would drag him to hell. Would he then be able to say, 'I acted unrighteously, unevenly, for the sake of relatives or blood-relations, do not drag me to hell, hell-wardens'? Or would his relatives or blood-relations be able to say, 'He acted unrighteously, unevenly for our sake, do not drag him to hell, hell-wardens'? No, venerable Sāriputta. Then, even as he cries out, the hell-wardens would cast him into hell. What do you think, Dhanañjāni? Suppose someone, for the sake of guests, he If you were unrighteous in conduct, unprincipled in conduct, then for that unrighteous, unprincipled conduct, the hell-guards would drag you to hell. Would you then be able to say: 'Indeed, for the sake of guests, I was unrighteous in conduct, unprincipled in conduct; let not the hell-guards drag me to hell!'? Or would your guests be able to say: 'Indeed, for our sake, he was unrighteous in conduct, unprincipled in conduct; let not the hell-guards drag him to hell!'? 'No, indeed, Venerable Sāriputta. But even as he cries out, the hell-guards would cast him into hell.' 'What do you think, Dhanañjāni? If someone here, for the sake of departed ancestors, were unrighteous in conduct, unprincipled in conduct, then for that unrighteous, unprincipled conduct, the hell-guards would drag him to hell. Would he then be able to say: 'Indeed, for the sake of departed ancestors, I was unrighteous in conduct, unprincipled in conduct; let not the hell-guards drag me to hell!'? Or would his departed ancestors be able to say: 'Indeed, for our sake, he was unrighteous in conduct, unprincipled in conduct; let not the hell-guards drag him to hell!'? 'No, indeed, Venerable Sāriputta. But even as he cries out, the hell-guards would cast him into hell.' 'What do you think, Dhanañjāni? If someone here, for the sake of deities, were unrighteous in conduct, unprincipled in conduct, then for that unrighteous, unprincipled conduct, the hell-guards would drag him to hell. Would he then be able to say: 'Indeed, for the sake of deities, I was unrighteous in conduct, unprincipled in conduct; let not the hell-guards drag me to hell!'? Or would his deities be able to say: 'Indeed, for our sake, he was unrighteous in conduct, unprincipled in conduct; let not the hell-guards drag him to hell!'? 'No, indeed, Venerable Sāriputta. But even as he cries out, the hell-guards would cast him into hell.' 'What do you think, Dhanañjāni? If someone here, for the sake of a king, were unrighteous in conduct, unprincipled in conduct, then for that unrighteous, unprincipled conduct, the hell-guards would drag him to hell. Would he then be able to say: 'Indeed, for the sake of a king, I was unrighteous in conduct, unprincipled in conduct; let not the hell-guards drag me to hell!'? let not the hell-guards drag him to hell!' or would the king obtain (this plea): 'This one, for our sake, acted unrighteously, acted unevenly; let the hell-wardens not throw him into hell!'?" "No, indeed, Venerable Sāriputta. But rather, while he is crying out, the hell-wardens would throw him into hell." "What do you think, Dhanañjāni? If someone here, for the sake of nourishing the body, for the sake of strengthening the body, should act unrighteously, act unevenly, and because of that unrighteous, uneven conduct, the hell-wardens would drag him to hell. Would he then obtain (this plea): 'I indeed, for the sake of nourishing the body, for the sake of strengthening the body, acted unrighteously, acted unevenly; let the hell-wardens not throw me into hell!' Or would others obtain (this plea for him):